Zabul (Persian and Pashto: زابل‎) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a mostly rural population of about 289,300.[4] Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Zabulistan region. Qalat serves as the capital of the province.

The province covers an area of 17293 km2. Two-fifths of the province is mountainous or semi mountainous terrain (41%) while more than one quarter of the area is made up of flat land (28%).

The primary ecoregion of the province is the central Afghan mountains xeric woodlands. Common vegetation is listed as dry shrub-land and pistachio. The high mountains of the northern portion of the province are in the Ghor-Hazarajat alpine meadow ecoregion, which is characterized by meadows, willows, and sea buckthorn.[5]

In 2006, the province's first airstrip was opened near Qalat, to be operated by the Afghan National Army, but also for use by commercial aviation. Twice weekly service was scheduled by PRT Air between Qalat and Kabul. The airstrip is not paved.[6] The ANA Chief in Zabul is Major General Jamaluddin Sayed[7]

The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 0% in 2005 to 32% in 2011.[9] The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 1% in 2005 to 5% in 2011.[9]

The total population of the province is about 289,300, which is mostly a rural tribal society.[4] According to the Naval Postgraduate School, the population is primarily Pashtun, sprinkled throughout around 2,500 remote villages. Major tribal groups include the Tokhi and Hotaki Ghilji and the Noorzai and Panjpai Durrani.

Pashto is the dominant language in the area. The people of Zabul are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. Primary occupations within Zabul are agriculture and animal husbandry.[10]

Afghan police and coalition special operations forces load a police member needing medical care onto an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a medical evacuation in the Shah Joy district in (January 2012)

Afghan children watch U.S. Soldiers and Airmen as they pass through their village near Forward Operating Base Lane (August 2010)

Sgt. Johnny Hoyos patrolling the area around a bridge on the Kabul–Kandahar Highway during a quality assurance, quality control visit in 2010.

A U.S. soldier watches the sunrise after a dismounted patrol mission near Forward Operating Base Baylough, Zabul province.

U.S. Special Forces are extracted from a mountain pinnacle in Zabul province